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Birth
I was born on December 14, 2006 at 10:10 am in the Philippines. -
Sentimental
One of the first memories I can remember. It was Christmas and my cousin was helping me open my gift which was a big bag of toys. -
Birthday
I was celebrating my 5th birthday with mom. We went to the mall together and she got me a pair of Barbie sunglasses. -
Change
I immigrated to the U.S. with my mom. I was very excited because I got to watch movies on the plane. -
Bravery
My first day of school at Garvy. I was very nervous because I didn't really understand or speak English yet. But everyone was nice in the end and was just mostly interested in my journey to flying to the U.S. (The teacher told everyone that I was on a plane for 24 hrs straight, which isn't completely true). -
Halloween
My first Halloween. I dressed up as a fairy and went trick or treating with my cousins. -
Growing up
My little sister was born. This was when I realized that I was starting to grow up. -
First Hangout
I got to go to my ex-best friend's birthday party for the first time. -
More Change
My family moved to a new house and I transferred to a new school. -
Another First Day
My first day at my new school and also middle school. Everyone was nice but it felt different. I ended up making a lot friends at that school which are still my best friends now. -
Even More Change
I moved back to the Philippines for a bit. -
Loyal
I went to my new school in the Philippines. Everyone was interested in me because I was basically a foreigner. I made friends but I felt out of place there so none of the friends I made stuck. I mostly missed my friends in the U.S. -
Bright
I won 3rd place at a math-science competition. -
Change pt.4
My family and I moved back to Chicago during COVID. -
Courageous
During a hangout with my friends, I learned how to ride a bike. I was nervous but excited that I could finally ride a bike. -
Determined
I graduated 8th grade despite all the chaos that was happening around me. -
Spontaneous
I joined Marching Band even without prior experience with music or band. I just wanted to join because I wanted to do a club with my friend and to just join a club in general. It was an out of character decision for me. -
Teamwork
My first day at a culinary internship at After School Matters. The program does teach us to cook and bake but it also prioritizes teamwork and responsibility. -
Empathetic
During one of our hangouts, my friend and I opened up to each other about our lives and our feelings. It was a very meaningful talk that we both needed. I took this picture at Chinatown which was where we hung out. -
Generous
I made cupcakes for my personal project and I ended up giving them to my friends. This was the start of my baking journey.